Newberry Caldera
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Our second day at Newberry National Monument took us into the caldera itself, a vast crater formed when the volcano collapsed inward. We started at Paulina Falls, where water spills 80 feet over the rim in twin cascades before cutting into the forest below. From there we stopped at Paulina Lake, its deep blue surface filling what was once a churning magma chamber.
Paulina Falls
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The highlight was the Big Obsidian Flow, Oregon’s youngest lava field at just 1,300 years old. It was a sharp contrast to Lava Butte’s 7,000 year old basalt cone and flow we saw the day before. That landscape has begun to weather and green over, while the Obsidian Flow still feels raw with its towering ridges of black volcanic glass. For thousands of years Native peoples came to Newberry’s obsidian flows to gather stone for arrowheads and tools, and the Big Obsidian Flow became the most recent source. Along the way Danny picked up a large rock and balanced it easily in one hand, showing his immense strength. It was pumice, full of air holes, so perhaps a little lighter than appearances (but we won't tell him that). About halfway around the loop, the trail offered up a perfect natural chair carved into the rock, and I couldn’t resist sitting on the throne for a moment to pose as the queen of the lava flow.
After the hike, we headed over to East Lake Resort for burgers at the Blue Duck Grill, a laid-back spot right on the lakeshore. Refueled, we finished the day with a drive up to Paulina Peak, the volcano’s highest point at nearly 8,000 feet. From the summit we had sweeping views of the entire caldera with both lakes tucked into the crater below.
Volcanoes from below. Volcanoes from above. A solid finale to our Newberry chapter.
After the hike, we headed over to East Lake Resort for burgers at the Blue Duck Grill, a laid-back spot right on the lakeshore. Refueled, we finished the day with a drive up to Paulina Peak, the volcano’s highest point at nearly 8,000 feet. From the summit we had sweeping views of the entire caldera with both lakes tucked into the crater below.
Volcanoes from below. Volcanoes from above. A solid finale to our Newberry chapter.